Europeans shy away from ultrabooks

Intel’s ultrabooks are apparently failing to gain much traction in Europe. According to Digitimes, Taiwanese suppliers are saying that demand in Europe is relatively weak.

For some reason European seem to prefer larger notebooks, 14- and 15-inchers, and more than 75 percent of all notebooks shipped in Europe are either 14- or 15-inch models. Few vendors seem to be interested in these form factors, but HP has already rolled out the first 14-inch ultrabook and Acer is planning to expand its Timeline Ultra series with similar models.

Ultrabook pricing also seems to be a problem, as the cheapest models still retail for about €800, while mid-range SKUs go for about €1,000. It is understandable that consumers in many parts of Europe are hesitant to cough up €1,000 for a notebook, as the continent struggles with the worst economic crisis in decades.